Mathematics

Mathematics Common Core State Standards

In August 2010 the State Board of Education adopted the updated mathematics standards. At this time, the California Department of Education is working to establish timelines for implementation. While teachers will continue teaching the standards they know, the following may provide useful information as we begin to prepare for conversion to the newly adopted Common Core State Standards.

There are two types of Mathematical Standards in the Common Core State Standards:

1. Mathematical Practices – describe a set of skills and processes that all students should develop as part of their study of mathematics

2. Content Standards – the mathematics students are expected to learn

The Mathematical Practices are the same for every grade level and high school conceptual cluster, and are similar to California’s idea of Balanced Mathematics for developing mathematics proficiency in students. In California there are currently three components: Computational and Procedural Skills, Conceptual Understanding and Problem Solving. The Common Core State Standards contains eight Mathematical Practices:

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

…start by explaining to themselves the meaning of the problem and looking for entry points to its solution

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

…make sense of quantities and their relationships to problem situations

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

…understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments

4. Model with mathematics.

…can apply the math they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society and the workplace

5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

…consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem

6. Attend to precision.

…calculate accurately and efficiently

7. Look for and make use of structure.

…look closely to discern a pattern or structure

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

…notice if calculations are repeated, and look for both general methods and shortcuts

Unlike Mathematical Practices, the Content Standards differ by grade level (k-8) and by course as students reach algebra one and beyond. Several topics have been shifted across grade levels when compared to the current content standards. See the standards for more details.

In middle school, the Common Core State Standards call for two options for eighth grade students. The goal for eighth graders is to successfully complete Algebra 1. However because not all eighth grade students have the necessary prerequisite skills for Algebra 1, there will be another option. Eighth grade Common Core standards will be provided to students who are not yet ready for algebra, while other students will learn Algebra 1 standards. The standards for kindergarten through seventh grade were augmented to prepare eighth grade students for either set of standards, and both sets of standards are designed to prepare students for college and career readiness.

The high school standards are currently listed as conceptual clusters and will need to be divided into courses by the California Department of Education before implementation.

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"CCSS were designed by a national panel of teachers, experts, parents and school administrators, so they reflect both our aspirations for our children and the realities of the classroom." - Ted Mitchell, former President of the California State Board of Education.